Let Me Tell You About
by Forlay
Summary: After a mistake niether of them could have predicted, Rachel and Jake must deal with the consequences. Long awaited third chapter added 6/5!
1. Chapter Two: The Flowers and the Trees

_Author's Notes: _Let Me Tell You About the Birds and the Bees_ was supposed to be a one-shot fic. I mean, really, what else could I do with it? But y'know what? I have really pesky friends. So I wrote a second chapter. And I'm actually planning on there being a third and fourth. And after that...no more R/J for me._

_If I knew who wrote the song that inspired the name of this fic and all its chapters, I'd give the credit here. But I don't know. The title of the song is 'Let Me Tell You About the Birds and the Bees', like the original title of the first chapter. Speaking of that first chapter, since it is very NC-17, it can now be found at http://www.megspace.com/arts/moriath/Animorphs/Fics/LMTYA/BridsBees.html . At the moment I don't intend on any of the other chapters being rated that high, but you never know where the muse will take you...._

**Let Me Tell You About...**   
**Chapter Two: The Flowers in the Trees**

Tobias leaned down and caught Rachel's mouth with his just before he came. Rachel returned his kiss eagerly, biting Tobias' lower lip gently as he groaned.   
As he came down from his post-orgasm high, he had a slightly troubled look on his face. "What about you?"   
Rachel knew what he was referring to. He'd had his climax, but for the first time she hadn't had one of her own. But she smiled for him. "It was quiet this time. Don't worry." She kissed him again.   
But Rachel was worried. Two nights ago she and Jake had had sex not far from this very spot. And as much as part of her wanted to, Rachel couldn't forget that night. She'd tasted blood, and part of her wanted more.   
After getting dressed, Rachel picked up the blanket they used to protect themselves from the forest floor. She kissed Tobias one last time before he demorphed, then made her way back towards the cabins.   
As usual, all the cabins were dark. Everyone had blown out their candles for the evening and was sound asleep.   
Or were they?   
Rachel caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She jumped behind a tree, not wanting to be caught by anyone. A parent would demand to know what she was doing out in the woods in such a disheveled state, and so would a Hork-Bajir, though for different reasons. And a Yeerk would kill her on sight.   
But when she looked out from behind the tree, Rachel saw Jake and Cassie walking hand in hand. They looked happy. Rachel sighed in relief, and happiness. It was about time..   
Jake looked over Cassie's head and happened to catch Rachel's eyes. He smiled at her, a slightly goofy grin conveying his excitement and nerves. Rachel smiled and nodded her encouragement. As soon as they were out of sight, she made it the rest of the way to her cabin without seeing anyone else. 

***

Like they had been for the past few nights, Rachel's dreams were filled with Jake. It was driving her crazy. She loved Tobias. There was no denying that. And she loved Cassie, her best friend. Anything she could possibly feel for Jake conflicted with those two facts. She would never betray them again.   
But her subconscious mind obviously didn't see the one-night stand as a betrayal.   
"You wouldn't believe the night I had," Cassie announced to Rachel at breakfast the next morning.   
"Huh?"   
Cassie glanced around. "I'll tell you about it after breakfast. Hurry up."   
Rachel obeyed. She wasn't used to seeing Cassie this cheerful. She had to know what this was about.   
It wasn't until Cassie was dragging Rachel toward the woods that her sleep-deprived mind remembered what she'd seen last night.   
Cassie and Jake. Walking hand in hand. Into the woods.   
Duh.   
Once Cassie had judged them a safe distance away from prying ears she turned to Rachel and blurted out her news. "Jake and I did it last night."   
Rachel about choked at Cassie's bluntness. "Um, well, that's....." Cassie was beginning to look concerned, so Rachel forced a teasing smile. "About time."   
Cassie giggled. "It was the most amazing experience ever. You know, you hear stories about first times being awkward and pretty horrible, but this was. . . absolutely perfect. I don't know if Jake's psychic or what, but he knew just where to touch me when -" Cassie broke off suddenly when she noticed Rachel blushing. "Oh, you probably don't want to hear this about your cousin, do you?"   
Rachel shrugged. "I subjected you to the same thing after my first time, so it's fair now."   
"Are you sure?"   
"Who else are you going to talk to? Marco?"   
Cassie looked mortified. "Oh, my God, no! If he knew -"   
"He probably already does," Rachel said gently. "He's Jake's best friend, you know."   
"Oh, God. He is. Crap. The entire Valley is going to know more about my sex life than I will."   
Rachel laughed, glad for this distraction from her own problems. "If he breathes a word to anyone, I'll go grizzly on him, 'kay?"   
"So you really don't mind?"   
"Come on, Cassie! Just tell me!"   
Cassie blushed slightly, then launched into the story, with full details. She caught Rachel blushing a few times, but Rachel assured her she was all right. She wasn't embarrassed to be hearing the story. She was blushing at the memory of how it had felt when Jake had done the same things to her. But she couldn't tell Cassie she had taught the guy everything he knew. 

***

"Are you sure you don't want to?"   
Rachel sighed. "Yes, Tobias, I'm positive. I'm. . . still sore from last night." That usually gave him enough satisfaction to drop the subject.   
And tonight was no different. "Then I'll see you in the morning." Tobias kissed Rachel deeply, then demorphed.   
Rachel waited until Tobias was on his way to his tree before she turned to leave.   
And ran straight into Jake.   
"I was hoping I'd find you out here," he said.   
"Why?"   
"Well, Cassie and I did, y'know. . ."   
"Yeah, I do. She told me."   
"What?!"   
"Jake, we're best friends. Best friends tell eachother when they've had their first time. Well, girls do, anyway. You didn't tell Marco about last night?"   
"Well, yeah, I did," Jake admitted. "I just didn't think Cassie would - never mind. That's not the reason I need to talk to you."   
_Is he having the same issue I am? _"What is it then?"   
"I need to know more. Doing the same thing every time is going to get boring fast."   
Rachel stared at Jake for a moment, not believing what she was hearing. "I can't do that Jake. You know that! Besides, Cassie knows, in theory, everything I know. She can talk you through it." Rachel hesitated a moment, debating whether to continue her diatribe or leave. She chose the latter. "I'll see you in the morning." She pushed past Jake.   
"Did I ever thank you?"   
Rachel stopped in her tracks. "For what?"   
"Everything."   
Rachel spun around. "Everything as in taking your virginity, betraying my best friend and breaking a few laws? Oh, and my boy friend. Let's not forget how I screwed _that_ relationship up."   
Now Jake turned to face Rachel. "What are you talking about?"   
Rachel shook her head. "This is wrong on so many levels, Jake. Like I said, not only is it technically illegal, but I can't have a normal conversation with Cassie or Tobias anymore. As much as I want to. . . I can't forget what we did. What we did with each other, and what we did to Cassie and Tobias. And I don't know how many more stories like the one I head today from Cassie I'll be able to sit through before I just snap and tell everyone what happened and how I wish it would happen again!" Rachel's eyes widened in shock when she realized what she'd said. "Oh, shit," she muttered.   
Jake reached forward and pulled Rachel into a gentle hug. "I don't know what to do, either," he admitted, "but I feel the same way."   
"But Cassie. . . Tobias. . . ."   
"I don't know. I love Cassie. . . but I love you, too. I just don't know how."   
"It has to be as family." She pulled away from Jake slightly, just enough so she could look him in the face without letting go of him. "I can't do this to Cassie or Tobias anymore. I love them both too much. And they deserve better."   
Yeah, we do. > Rachel and Jake pulled away from each other as Tobias fluttered down from a tree and demorphed.   
"Tobias, what are you -" Rachel began to ask, but Tobias cut her off.   
"Y'know, what you two did. . . I don't care that you're cousins. I've heard of stranger things and the laws be damned. My problem is you two did this, and want to do it again, while you say you love other people.   
"I do! I swear," Rachel insisted. "This - what Jake and I - you don't know the story, Tobias. Let me explain."   
Tobias began walking past her. "Let me get Cassie. You can tell her, too."   
Rachel grabbed his arm. "No. Later. We - I - promise. But not now."   
Tobias glowered at Rachel, then Jake, then leaned against a tree. "All right. I'm listening. For now."   
Rachel began to speak, but Jake stopped her. "This is my fault, Tobias. Don't blame her."   
"What?!" Rachel demanded. Jake ignored her.   
"I needed advice. I wanted to start having sex with Cassie, but I. . . " Jake was blushing, obviously embarrassed by what he was about to admit. "I didn't really know the best way to go about it. C'mon, I'm sure you can relate."   
Tobias' expression didn't change.   
"Okay, so, I went to Rachel," Jake continued. "I figured no one would know what Cassie might want better. She didn't want to tell me, but I wouldn't leave her alone. It was my fault."   
Rachel shot Jake an exasperated look, then moved to take Tobias' hand. Tobias jerked away, but Rachel stayed close and talked softly so Jake couldn't quite hear. "Tobias. You know what it's like. How often have you teased me by telling me, in private thought speak, just what you want and plan to do to me later? You know what that does to me, even if I can't see you, and I bet you aren't unaffected either. Would we be able to stay away from each other if we were in a private place?"   
If it was possible, Tobias' frown grew more severe. "Fine," he said so Jake could hear as well. "I still can't believe you two did this, but I won't tell Cassie. She deserves to hear it straight from you two." Without waiting for a response, he demorphed quickly and flew off.   
"I should tell her," Jake said when he was sure Tobias was out of hearing range.   
Rachel shook her head. "Stop trying to be a martyr for me, Jake. We'll both tell her. We both screwed up." 

***

Rachel was quiet the next morning. Abnormally so. Cassie noticed, of course. She also noticed how Tobias was no where to be seen. He never ate with the group, of course, but he always dropped by after his hunt to sit with Rachel.   
_Maybe he's having a hard time today,_ Cassie rationalized. But when he still hadn't showed up by the time everyone, except dawdling Rachel, had finished eating, Cassie knew that something had to be up.   
"Come on, girl talk," Cassie said as she pulled on her best friend's arm.   
"Can't it wait?"   
"No. Come on." Cassie dragged Rachel into the woods where they'd talked the morning before. "Okay. What's up?"   
"Nothing." Cassie fixed Rachel with a hard stare. "Really. I just didn't get much sleep last night. You know what it can be like."   
"You're really tense today. And Tobias never showed up. What happened?"   
"N-nothing." A long pause. "All right. Tobias and I had a fight last night. Okay? I couldn't sleep."   
"Oh," Cassie said softly. "Rachel, I'm sorry."   
"Don't be. We'll be fine."   
"Are you sure?"   
"Yes!" Rachel snapped.   
Cassie wasn't put off by Rachel's abrasive behavior. She put an arm around Rachel's shoulder, and felt her tense at the touch.   
Something still wasn't right.   
"Rachel, you're not telling me everything, are you?"   
Rachel shrugged out of Cassie's half-hug. "Everything's fine, Cassie. I'll talk to you later." She started to leave, but Cassie stepped in front of her, blocking her path.   
"We've all begun to lose contact with eachother out here. We focus more on fighting than on what's up with each other, which is just as important. I'm not going to let this drop."   
Rachel sagged. Cassie was worried for a moment that Rachel was actually going to pass out. Her knees seemed to buckle, her posture drooped, and her head fell forward so her hair hid her face."   
"Rachel?" Cassie asked softly.   
"I'm sorry," Rachel whispered.   
"For what?"   
Rachel sighed. She leaned against the tree, then slid down the trunk. "Sit down. You're not going to like this."   
Cassie sat next to Rachel. "Just tell me."   
Slowly, Rachel told Cassie what had happened between her and Jake three nights ago now. Then the confrontation the night before. She sped up slowly, and was almost tripping over her words by the time she finished telling the story. "I swear, Cassie, I didn't mean for this to happen. I never wanted it to! But -"   
"But now something's changed," Cassie interrupted, her voice flat. "Something has changed between you and Jake. Unexpected though it was."   
Rachel looked surprised. "You. . . understand?"   
"I understand why Jake talked to you. I understand that now everything's changed. But I don't understand why neither of you said stop, why you would risk everything for a few minutes of pleasure."   
"Cassie -"   
"I need to be alone for awhile."   
Rachel stood up. "I'm sorry, Cassie." She waited a moment to see if Cassie would respond. She didn't. Rachel turned to head back towards the camp.   
She didn't head back directly, however. She wandered in the woods for awhile before stumbling back into camp unexpectedly, out of sight of all of the humans in the Valley. _Good_, she thought. Cassie wasn't the only one who needed to be alone for awhile. She sat down against a tree and rested her head against her knees.   
Rachel didn't know how long she'd been sitting there, when she felt someone tapping her shoulder.   
"What?" she demanded, her head still on her knees. The intruder had interrupted her much needed nap.   
"It's me."   
_Jake._   
"What do you want?"   
"When Cassie came back without you, I got worried. Especially when she wouldn't look at me. Did you tell her?"   
"I had to," Rachel whispered.   
"Why?"   
Rachel finally looked up. "You know what Cassie's like if she thinks you're holding something back. She wouldn't drop it, so I told her and now. . . I don't blame her for hating me. I don't blame Tobias. But I don't know how we - the team - is going to survive now." She sighed. "We - I - screwed up."   
"No, it's we," Jake corrected. "You're right. You had to tell Cassie. We should have told her right away, but I didn't want to face her. We did screw up, but we'll get through it." He placed a tender hand on Rachel's shoulder, but she pushed him away.   
"Don't," she warned. "I don't. . . I don't know how I feel about you, Jake, and I'm not going to let hormones dictate my actions twice. Not before everything gets sorted out."   
Jake nodded and stood up. "Okay. Yeah. That sounds smart. I'll, uh, just go then." He started to leave, but Rachel called him back. "What?" he asked as he stepped close again.   
"You thanked me earlier," she said slowly as she stood up. "I shouldn't have snapped. What I should have said is. . . you're welcome."   
"Thanks," Jake said as he smiled slowly. And seeing that smile, Rachel really began to understand, for the first time, what Cassie had seen in the guy. 


	2. Chapter Three: The Moon Up Above

_Author's Notes: Wow, it's been awhile, hasn't it? And for that I apologize. The past several months have been crazy. I haven't had that much inspiration to write, let alone type up the little I have written. This fic has actually been finished since December, and now that school's out I'm finally posting it._   
_I want to thank everyone who's taken the time to review the first two chapters. Positive or negative, they're always fun to read.___

**Let Me Tell You About....**   
**Chapter Three: The Moon Up Above**

Marco knew something was up with his best friend. And every other human member of the Animorphs. He just didn't know what.   
And it pissed him off.   
No, that wasn't right. He could handle everyone acting weird. What pissed him off was no one would tell him what was up, not even Jake. Whenever he asked someone what was wrong, the response was basically "Fuck off."   
And ironically, that was the one thing that _wasn't_ happening in the Valley. Rachel would probably kill him if she knew that he knew she and Tobias were having sex, but what else would she have been doing sneaking out into the woods at night? And then Jake had told him about finally sleeping with Cassie.   
And that's when the shit appeared to have hit the fan.   
A week later, even the adults were beginning to catch on that something wasn't right. The Animorphs had gotten into fights amongst themselves before; it happened when you only saw the same dozen people every day. But they'd always worked it out in a few days, and never had so many people been acting so weird at once.   
Rachel's moodiness was probably the most noticeable. Instead of spending every free moment with Tobias or Cassie, she tended to wander the perimeter of the camp aimlessly. Apparently the only one who could have a slightly meaningful conversation with her was Jake, since he would walk with her sometimes.   
Or that's what Marco assumed they did.   
Marco had had it with everyone else avoiding eachother, or openly antagonizing eachother, as was the case with Tobias towards Rachel and Jake. Talking to them individually hadn't worked, so perhaps getting everyone together at Ax's scoop would. Ax was hunting for Tobias; Marco was going to find everyone else.   
Cassie had been easy to find. Without her best friend or boyfriend to spend time with, she stayed around the cabins, either with her parents or Sara and Jordan. That evening she'd been with the latter two, playing some intricate hand clapping game Marco remembered girls always playing in elementary school. Cassie had promised to go to Ax's scoop as soon as they'd finished the game.   
When he hadn't found Jake at his cabin, Marco figured he was out with Rachel again. They'd been hanging out together more frequently and for longer times the last few days. Marco took it as a good sign: the cousins had been kind of strained even before this newest outbreak of arguments. If they could patch up that relationship at least one good thing would come out of all this.   
It took some wandering, but Marco eventually heard Jake and Rachel talking softly. The sun had set by then, so with only a half moon to light his way, Marco was mostly counting on his hearing to guide him. So he panicked a little when they suddenly stopped talking.   
He kept walking in the direction he'd last heard them from, hoping he'd stumble across them.   
And that's almost exactly what happened.   
Just before he got desperate enough to start calling for them, Marco tripped over a tree root. He threw his arms out, hoping to balance himself on the tree the root belonged to, but he couldn't get a good grip. He fell face down in the dirt.   
And that's when he saw Jake and Rachel. There were only a few shrubs separating him from them. The reason Marco hadn't seen them was they were sitting on the ground.   
Kissing.   
"Holy shit," Marco whispered.   
They weren't making out. It wasn't even a very passionate kiss. Just a slow, tender one.   
Marco had only been watching for a few seconds when Rachel pulled away. "We need to head back," Rachel said softly. "People will start to wonder where we are."   
Jake brushed an errant strand of hair off Rachel's forehead. "Yeah." But neither made any move to leave.   
Marco figured he'd seen enough. He stood up and boldly marched through the brush. "What the _hell_ are you doing out here?" he demanded. All witty comments had been shocked out of him by The Kiss.   
"What business is it of yours?" Rachel demanded with a death glare.   
"Well, if your little make out sessions are the reason for the sudden chill that's overcome our little band, then I'm making it my business 'cause you two are going to get us all killed."   
Rachel was up in a flash and had Marco pinned against a tree before either of the guys knew what was happened. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about, Marco."   
"I saw you and Jake kissing," Marco enunciated slowly. "What else do I need to know? Your wedding date?"   
Rachel was about to slam Marco against the tree again, but Jake pulled her back and forced her to let go of Marco. "What are you doing out here, Marco?" Jake asked in his low tell-me-the-truth-or-face-the- consequences voice.   
"Looking for you two so we could have a group meeting and figure out what the hell is going on. But I think I know now, so I'll leave you two alone. Don't forget, the condoms that I'm sure Rachel has. I don't think we have maternity morphing outfits."   
Rachel lunged for Marco again, but Jake beat her to it and tackled his friend to the ground. "What is your problem, man?! This shouldn't be a big deal!"   
"It shouldn't be a big deal?!" Marco repeated. "Where should I start, with the moral issues that come up with kissing cousins, or how pissed I am that you didn't tell me, your best friend, what was going on?"   
"Don't you dare start on the morality shit," Rachel said, mostly to herself. "I've dealt with that enough this week."   
Marco, however, overheard. "Obviously not enough if you went on ahead and kissed him again."   
Jake stood up and took Rachel's arm to keep her from going after Marco as he stood. "Y'know, maybe this is why I didn't tell you, 'cause I didn't want you to freak out."   
"Well you should have given me the option, instead of leaving me to find out on my own." Marco picked a twig out of his hair. "I'm going back to camp. I won't expect to see you back there tonight." He flinched slightly as he turned away when he saw Jake put an arm around Rachel's shoulders, but he didn't say anything else. He marched directly to Ax's scoop.   
Ax was waiting there with Tobias and Cassie. Cassie was trying to make conversation, but Ax wasn't the greatest conversationalist in the best of times, and Tobias was being his now usual silent, brooding self.   
"Meeting canceled," Marco announced flatly. "I figured it all out."   
"Oh, God," Cassie moaned. She leaned forward, head in her hands.   
Fuck them, > Tobias muttered. He flew off.   
What happened? > Ax asked, thoroughly confused.   
"Were they having sex again?" Cassie asked, her sobs just barely restrained. "Just tell me that. Were they?"   
Marco blinked. He hadn't thought Jake and Rachel might have _needed_ that condom he suggested. "No, they weren't. I didn't know they ever had." Cassie just nodded. Marco sat next to her. "Cassie -"   
"I'm sorry you had to find out - well, however you did. Someone should have told you."   
"You have nothing to apologize for. It's all them."   
Much to his surprise, Cassie laid her head on Marco's shoulder. "No it - well, yes, it is. But I should have said something when you asked. I'm sorry." She sniffed. "I'm so, so sorry."   
Awkwardly, Marco put an arm around Cassie. "It's okay. I'll get over it. It was just a shock. I was looking for them and then, bam, I found them. Kissing."   
Cassie's self restraint finally broke. She began to sob. Ax discretely left, leaving Marco alone to do the job of comforting her that _should_ have fallen to one of the two people the girl was crying over. 

***

Rachel paced around the clearing angrily while Jake stood by, helpless. "What does he think gives him the right to say all that bull shit?"   
"Rachel, he's in shock. What would your reaction be if you caught him and Tobias in the situation he found us?" Jake reasoned.   
Rachel stopped pacing in front of Jake. "Don't change the subject. Let me vent. Or I'm going to go back to camp and kill him. And Tobias." With a sigh, she sat down against a tree. "I thought I'd already lived through hell, but I think I'm just digging myself down deeper."   
Jake sank down next to her. "Will you stop taking all the blame? This isn't like you."   
Rachel sighed and leaned her head on Jake's shoulder. "Marco just got to me. I've gotten silence from Cassie, anger from Tobias. . . I didn't need that."   
"I think it might be time to come clean with everyone. Marco, Ax. . . even Cassie doesn't know the whole story."   
"And how do you propose we get everyone together for this meeting?"   
"I'll figure that out. Just be ready to get together tomorrow morning."   
Rachel smirked. "So no wandering off to brood on my own?"   
"Definitely not," Jake admonished with a smile. He stood, then reached down to help Rachel up.   
"So do we go back together?" Rachel asked when she was facing Jake,   
Jake shrugged. "Might as well. Everyone knows now, right?"   
Rachel began to walk. "Except the parents. . . and I think it's going to stay that way." Jake nodded in agreement. So he was surprised when Rachel grabbed his hand as they walked. And didn't let go until they were in sight of the cabins. 

***

For the first time in recent memory, Rachel slept soundly through the night. Her mother had given her sisters strict instructions not to wake Rachel. They told Jake so when he came by.   
"It's really important that I talk to her," Jake said.   
Jordan shrugged. "Fine. But when she tries to kill you for waking her up, don't come crying to me."   
Jake shook his head at Jordan's warning, but was still careful when waking Rachel up. He shook her shoulder gently, then stepped back out of her reach when she began to stir.   
Rachel pulled her pillow over her head. "What?" she demanded groggily.   
"I've gotten everyone together. They're waiting for us."   
Rachel glanced out from under her pillow to look at Jake's face. _I could get used to this wake up call. . . ._ she thought. _Whoa! Where the hell did that one come from?_ "Did you have to make it so early?"   
"It's almost noon, Rachel."   
"Seriously?" Jake nodded. "Shit."   
"Come on. We're at Ax's scoop, but I don't know how long everyone will stay." Jake left them to give Rachel a chance to get ready alone.   
Getting ready in the Valley only took a fraction of the time it took in the outside world. Without a full closet or a working shower, there wasn't much for Rachel to do. She ran her fingers through her hair, pulled jeans and a T-shirt on over her morphing suit, and was ready to go. Besides, she didn't feel like dressing up to meet the Inquisition.   
Rachel didn't see any of the others when she left her cabin. The mustn't have decided give up on her coming to the meeting quite yet. However, Loren spotted Rachel the moment the girl left her cabin and ran to stop her.   
"Rachel? Can I talk to you a moment?"   
Rachel sighed. She normally loved to talk to Loren, and had begun to let herself think that the woman might actually be her mother-in-law one day, but now wasn't exactly the best time. "Can it wait? I kinda have to meet the others."   
"This will only take a moment. It's about Tobias."   
A dozen words came to Rachel's mind at that moment. None that she felt comfortable using around Loren, however, so she found another. "What?"   
"Well, all of you kids, actually. Something's gone wrong, hasn't it?"   
Rachel tensed. "What do you mean?"   
Loren shook her head. "I think you know. I said something's gone wrong and you tensed up. You and Tobias don't hang out together, neither do Cassie and Jake. This is the first time in a week I've seen you hanging around the camp area." She put a hand on Rachel's shoulder. "I know none of you kids know me well. I still don't know myself. But I owe you my life. And the life of my son. I want you to know that if you ever need to talk, I'm a good listener."   
Rachel wanted to talk more, but she couldn't. Not before talking to everyone else first; they were more important at the moment. She shrugged off Loren's hand. "Maybe another time, Loren. I've gotta go." She jogged off to Ax's scoop without meeting anyone else.   
The rest of the Animorphs were still there, just as Jake had said. Cassie, Marco and Jake were each sitting on a small log that had been pulled into a circle around the scoop, while Ax stood nearby and Tobias perched on a tree branch above.   
"I think someone had a long night," Marco muttered as Jake stood up to make room for her on the log he'd been sitting on. Everyone turned to glare at Marco. Even Ax focused all four eyes on Marco. No matter anyone's personal thoughts about Rachel's lateness, they didn't need it brought up so bluntly.   
Rachel considered explaining that she'd met up with Loren, but decided Marco's comment didn't deserve a response. "Let's just get on with this," she muttered to Jake.   
Jake took a moment to clear his throat. "Um, well, Rachel and I thought that, after last night, it was time to get everyone together for a talk. It's getting to the point where it's dangerous for us to have all this. . . this tension between us. It's going to get one of us killed eventually."   
"Yeah, and shouldn't you have thought of that earlier?" Marco asked.   
"What the hell is your problem?" Rachel demanded. "Why the hell are you being so - so - so outraged about this? I can understand being upset at being left out of the loop, but you're acting worse than -" Rachel quickly glanced at Tobias and Cassie, "than anyone else."   
"Is it that hard to figure out? Do you have no concept of incest?"   
Does it really matter that much? > Tobias asked flatly. I don't know about Cassie, but I certainly don't care that they're cousins. >   
Marco raised an eyebrow. "Really?"   
Tobias sighed. Okay. It's a little weird, I suppose, but that's not the reason I'm pissed off. You guys don't know this, but I found these two out in the woods two nights after they slept together the first time ->   
"_Only_ time," Rachel interjected.   
- saying they wanted to do it again. Never mind that the night before Rachel had said she loved me. >   
"I guess I feel the same way," Cassie said softly. "You said you never wanted to hurt me, Rachel, that you didn't mean for it to happen. But you and Jake are out together, alone, every day, and last night Marco found you kissing -"   
"Don't blame Rachel, please," Jake interrupted. "Not for the last two. I would go out to find Rachel. After she'd leave the main area of camp. I wanted to check that she was okay. I. . . I didn't think anyone else would. And last night. . . ."   
Rachel picked up the story. "I was complaining to him last night. My. . . well, to be honest, the same sob story I've been repeating every night for the last week. Why'd we let it happen, why haven't we fixed it, what the hell do I feel for whom and. . . I don't know. Next thing I knew he was kissing me. And then there was Marco."   
There was an awkward pause before Ax spoke. I'm sorry, Prince Jake, Rachel, but I believe I am quickly becoming confused. >   
_Oh boy_, Jake thought. "Um, what about, Ax?"   
Marco mentioned 'incest,' but I've never heard of that term. >   
"Andalites don't have kissing cousins?" Marco quipped.   
"Do you have a death wish or are you being an ass on general principle?" Rachel demanded.   
Marco ignored her. "Ax, incest is when two people in the same family have a romantic relationship. And when the relationship progresses to sex, it's illegal."   
Ax nodded. Yes. I can understand that. To prevent _vecol_ children, correct? >   
Jake sighed. "Yeah, Ax. That's right."   
I do not know the full details in these circumstances, but I don't believe Rachel and Prince Jake intend to have children. >   
"Of course we don't," Rachel snapped.   
Then my opinion is they should have been more open about their relationship from the start, but I see nothing morally wrong with this situation. >   
Rachel smiled slightly and was just about to thank Ax when Tobias broke in. What's morally wrong is how these two weren't honest with me or Cassie. If they had just come clean immediately, I would have been pissed, yeah, and I would have wanted some distance, but there'd have been no reason to throw the whole Valley into turmoil. >   
"How many times, and in how many ways, do I have to apologize?" Rachel demanded. "Are you not going to be happy until I'm fucking you again, Tobias?" Rachel looked at the rest of the group. "Jake and I made a huge mistake. We don't deny it. But we aren't sadists. I didn't sleep with Jake, one time, because I wanted to piss Tobias off. I'm not proud of the way it happened, but. . . " Rachel suddenly lost her momentum and trailed off.   
"Y'know what?" Marco said suddenly. "It's obvious we're not gonna get anything else done here. They've apologized and tried to rationalize it. I'm not sure how much of it I buy. Just. . . give me some time to think guys. 'Kay?" Without waiting for a response, he stalked off.   
"I guess that's the end of it, then," Jake said. He glanced nervously from Tobias to Cassie. "Did this help at all?"   
Cassie shrugged and stood up. "I don't know. I think we need to talk, just you and I. Will you come with me?"   
"Of course." Jake went over to her and the two walked off in silence, leaving only Rachel, Tobias and Ax in the scoop.   
Rachel was about to head off on her own when Tobias stopped her, saying in private thought speak, I think we need to talk, too. >   
Rachel looked up at him. "Fine. Lead the way."   
Tobias fluttered from branch to branch, leading Rachel through the woods until they reached a clearing Rachel knew all too well. It was the clearing they used to meet in to have sex. _Why here?_ Rachel wondered.   
Tobias landed and morphed to human so he and Rachel could talk properly.   
"Um, what's up?" Rachel asked. She was nervous. Being here made her nervous.   
"I want to know where we stand now," Tobias said flatly. "I'm not going to waste any more anger over you and him if we don't have a chance anymore."   
Rachel sighed. "I don't know where we stand either, Tobias."   
Tobias shook his head. "No. I can't accept that. I need to know if I should wait for you or move on."   
"Why do you need to know now? Why is it so important to you?"   
"Because I loved you, Rachel. I still do, and that's why I'm so angry. Do you know how hard it was for me to admit to myself that I liked you, let alone loved you? Now do I try to forgive you and love you again, or should I start all over again?"   
Frustrated, Rachel sat on the ground and ran her hands through her hair. "Okay, Tobias. You want me to tell you exactly how I feel now?" Tobias nodded. "I love you. I always will. You'll always be my first love, I will never, ever, forget that."   
"But?" Tobias prompted.   
"But. . . well, I'm still not sure what it is exactly that I feel for Jake. I mean, after all the times I've wanted to hurt him. . . he's turning out to be completely different than I thought. But whatever it is I feel for him, it wouldn't be fair, I guess, to ask you to wait. I don't know what's going to happen with Jake, if anything will. Hell, maybe Cassie's convincing him right now that she's the one for him. But I guess I can't ask for you to wait for my feelings to sort themselves out." A pause. "I'm sorry, Tobias."   
"Yeah. I am too." 

***

Cassie and Jake walked until she was sure there wouldn't be anyone near enough to hear them. When she was satisfied, Cassie stopped short and turned to look at Jake. "I've wasted enough tears over this so I'm going to keep this short and to the point: do you love her?"   
"What?"   
"Do you love her?" Cassie repeated, slower this time.   
"I can't answer that, Cassie."   
"Why not?"   
"Because it's not a fair question. Did you know within a week that you loved me?"   
"No," Cassie admitted. "But I didn't have sex with you until I'd known you well for three years. I know you two say that happened on accident, but _something_ must have been there. If you two hadn't felt anything for each other, it never would have happened."   
"I don't know if I love her, Cassie. I care alot about her, but maybe it really is just the family connection."   
Cassie shook her head as Jake said that. "You were never close family, Jake. You both have told me that before."   
"Well, then, I guess. . . "   
Cassie took Jake's hand. "Please. I need to know the truth. I can't be hurt any more than I already am."   
Jake gently pulled his hand away and looked at the ground. "Then maybe I do love her," he said softly.   
Cassie nodded. "Okay then. I guess I don't have anything else to say. I'll see you around." She began to walk away.   
"Cassie, stop." Jake quickly covered the few steps Cassie had taken. "You're still upset. Please, don't be. I didn't want to hurt you. I never have and I never will."   
"I guess I lied when I said I couldn't be hurt any more. I didn't really expect you to answer. At least not that." Cassie shrugged. "Just give me some time, Jake. I'll be fine, now that I know the truth."   
"Cassie. . . ."   
"No, Jake. It's over. It's not going to work anymore. I just need some time to get over you now. Now that I know we're really done."   
"Yeah. I guess I can understand that."   
Cassie nodded and smiled wanly. "Good." 


End file.
